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"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

***A Quote From The Velveteen Rabbit

Monday

A little background on what started the proverbial wheels turning on this subject....

So, I was emailing back and forth with a friend last night, he was telling me one of his employees is no longer with him, and he made the statement that he, as I know, "has that effect on people."
My response to my friend, who is very successful, who I admire very much, was something to the effect of "You're intense. It takes a special person to deal with you. It's not a bad thing. It's part of why you're so successful in the things you are passionate about, and determined to succeed in. There are several things most people can't stand in that statement. Passion, determination, intensity, success. I am beginning to think most people are afraid of these things, whether they realize or admit it or not."

He replied with the following: "So how sick am I, thank you that is one of the nicest things someone has said to me in a very long time..I don't think people are as afraid of it as they are unwilling to make the commitments to them, and their personal success, as they demand. Its easy to sit on the couch and call someone like me a work-a-haulic. Its easy to say I am to "in to my work" but oddly the 99% of the people who say that are taking money from me at the time. I don't enjoy being intense, determined or passionate. I honestly wish I could just sit and watch the world go by, but no one puts food on my table, feeds my kids or watches over my employees children if I rest. I have the great privilege of being the captain of my ship. I have the honor of being able to command my destiny. But my ship is not a ocean liner on its way to Mazatlan. It's a river raft and my job is more about avoiding rocks, my team helps me do that and when they become anchors they endanger the rest of the crew and my security and I cut them free. It is not a process I enjoy. It is the process I must do to keep my ship afloat and those aboard alive. People are like water, they seek the path of least resistance even if it means falling over a cliff… but then water falls are always kind of fun to watch (except for the noise of the falling water)"

And what I had to say to that was this: "Well, you know I admire you, it was meant to be a compliment, and you are not sick to recognize that, you're just aware of your surroundings, which is good whether you're an ocean liner or a raft. After all, even the indestructible Titanic sank. It could have been avoided, I'm sure, but it's crew was far too confident in the ship's famed construction and nowhere near as diligent in their watch as they should have been. Icebergs are big and sharp, and although people usually appear nowhere near as menacing, they are more often than not just as unforgiving, and sometimes, more than even I am comfortable admitting, they seem way more willing to sink you rather than allow your safe passage. The most unfortunate thing is that, unlike water frozen into icebergs, which are comfortably predictable geographically, people are not so easy to watch out for. You never know when the ocean of people will be smooth sailing and allow safe passage, or when it's temperament climate might drop below the freezing point. I love to watch a waterfall in all it's freedom, and the the noise of water falling has never bothered me. In fact, the louder the better as far as I'm concerned. LoL. In my opinion, by the way, avoidance of commitment is more a form of fear than almost anything else I can think of."

Okay, that's the thick of what got my mind spinning on the subject at hand. What I want to come to understand is WHY does it seem that so many people are turned off by passion, determination, intensity, success, etc.....What is it about strong personality characteristics like these that seems to make people want to steer clear?

Why do people think passionate and/or intense people are strange? What makes being around people like this uncomfortable for others? What isn't grand about someone caring for something so much that they want to dedicate so much attention to it? In my opinion, it's wonderful if a person can find something that interests them so much, it's fulfilling to feel as though you're spending your time on something that matters. Even if just to you.

People also seem to be repelled by determination and success. More success than determination, really, but why? Are people so shallow that they can't stand being around someone that's doing well for themselves? Does it make them feel bad about themselves in some way? So many times I've heard people complain about how a successful person they know acts. They always say that their successful friend acts like they are better than other people, or that they have to flaunt it, or something along those lines. Does the success of others determine how these people feel about themselves? Why? Do they feel sorry for themselves, or embarrassed that they haven't worked harder and achieved something more as well? Bitter??? People that have experienced success should be able to feel good about it. And what's the point of working to become successful if you can't reap the benefits of it? Why is it flaunting? Why do others feel it's condescending? It should be inspiring rather than annoying. It's just really too bad.

My friend was right when he said "People are like water, they seek the path of least resistance..." I suppose this may contribute to the discontent of the types of people mentioned above. Passion, determination, intensity, success.....Creative people move against the flow. They create resistance. The other people are happy with being swept along without much effort or thought, creative people interrupt the natural flow of their lives, and if much thought is put into their different perspectives, more effort is necessary, resistance increases.....So many people are lazy, and want everything to be effortless. Nothing in life is free, if you chose the path of least resistance, you choose a life of few decisions, and little opportunity for the envied success. Envy. I think that is what it is that creates this negativity. Envy.

Life is only what you make it. Things don't change. PEOPLE change, and then PEOPLE change things. Imagine a world of intense resistance, of people full of determination and passion. A place without envy, full of people focused on something better. What if the scales were tipped the other way, and people were more intent on progression, instead of the regression of those around them that they envy.That's where I want to live.